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Friday, June 28, 2013

I recently read a letter to the editor of my local paper
where the writer was outraged by the LEED certified buildings popping up in
town. The left wing liberal crazies are trying to push their weight around and
make people do things they don’t want to do.

Honestly, I am trying to understand why this person is so
upset that the town and business owners are choosing to build LEED buildings.
It saves money, energy, and water resources while the green rooftops are
creating habitat and cleaning the air.

Why are actions that are taken to help reduce our strain on
the environment considered left wing craziness? Does this mean there are no
right wing folks who care about the Earth and our strain on it? I know this is
not the case as I know many people of all kinds of political beliefs that care
for the Earth. In fact it is a growing majority of people.

It is a fact that conservation of our resources is a good
management practice; one which conservatives and liberals should be able to
relate with. Also, for those that are religious, wasn’t it a teaching of Jesus
to rid yourself of material things and not to waste anything?

However, these are not the only reasons for “Going
Green”.Sustainability makes dollars and
cents too. Ask any number of companies, big and small, about their
sustainability initiatives and most have them. From Patagonia, to Walgreens,
Wal-mart, New Balance, Kroger, Jewel-Osco, and on and on, they all have
sustainability goals and plans. They have seen first-hand how being green makes
business sense for them.

I imagine the local businesses and the town buildings that
became LEED certified have made their business case for doing so and are
achieving their goals through this. Maybe we need to stop labeling and being
outraged over so many things that are completely out of our control. Then
maybe, just maybe, we will be able to jump outside of our boxes and see all
sides.